Born in Queen Anne, Maryland, and raised as only a nominal Lutheran by German immigrants, Sommer had identified himself as a Methodist in 1864.
His conversion to Restoration Movement Christianity began in 1868 in Harford County, Maryland under the influence of his employer, John Dallas Everett.
One biographer, Larry Miles, put it thus: "It was while a student at Bethany that Sommer began what others would call being a "watchdog" for the brotherhood.
[1] Daniel Sommer himself spoke out against what he called "innovations" and included on that list things like para-church societies, Bible colleges, the "pastor" system and instrumental music.
It is fair today to say that none of the major Restoration Movement groups willingly embrace Sommer as a primarily positive figure in their background.